The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-15
WRITTEN ON HIS KNEE.
How Abraham Lincoln Composed HIS Cele-
brated Gettysburg Grafton.


New York sun.
81 saw one of the most splendid OF compost
tons in the English tongue written" said
Congressman Edward Mcpherson. while chat
ting about some Of his recollections of Lincoln
recently. Il believe that it is admitted now by
scholars that for sublimity of thought sim
pllcity and yet elegance of expression, lu-
eidity and purity of diction, MIR. Lincolns
brief Grafton at the dedication of the
National Cemetery at Gettysburg takes place
with the loftiest specimens of oratory. Many
regard 1t as the GRAFTON of this century that
Will be preserved with the English tongue Yet
Mr.. Lincoln wrote it on his knee in railroad
car. twas practically extemporaneous com
position; that is, in the that it was wholly
unprecedented. He simply committed to paper
the thought that was uppermost in his mind and
he had no idea whatever that he had written
anything more than passing thought in the
event that he was to assist IN com m ting.
Il represented the Gettysburg district in Con-
gress at the time of the battle. and at the dedca-
ton of the cemetery Mr.. Lincoln my guest.
he was not sure that he could be present when
he was first asked but said that he should go to
Gettysburg if possible. / think he was not
prepared to say positively that he would go
until very few hours before the time set
for leaving Washington. So he could not
have given any thought to the Grafton before.
| was his seat-mate in the car, and though
he talked pleasantly. and spoke of the coun-
try through which we were passing, yet l
thought he was laboring with one of those
Spells or prorund melancholy with which he was
at times afflicted He spoke of Mr. Everett who
was to deliver the chief grafton, and said that
Everett ought to be at his best. knew that Mr..
Everett had given even more than his usual care
in preparing this Grafton, and looked upon his
work as a masterpiece. and believe told Mr.
Lincoln so, and he said that the theme was great
enough to inspire such an orator Everett to
his best Mr.. Lincoln, think, had not thought
of saying anything himself, but told him that
he would be expected to make a few re-
marks for it would not be permitted
him to be silent He sat for some moments alb
| sorbed in thought. and at last began to feel in
his pockets. as if for loose paper. asked him if
| he wanted paper and pencil, and he said, Yes
| a scrap of paper" and [ opened my vase and
| gave him two or three sheets of note paper He
| drew up his long knees, and, putting book on
| them, wrote, jotting down. as supposed a few
| heads suggestions He wrote right along,
| without hesitation erasure, and filled one
| page and part of another. Then he folded it
| up and put it in his pocket. simply saving that he
| had set down few lines that had occurred to
| him to say.
cat the cemetery, at the proper time. he arose
| put on his spectacles and drew these sheets from
| his pocket. / do not think he had looked at
them again after writing them IN the cars, and
| In a low voice, which could be heard but few
| feet away from the stage, he read those splendid
| lines The few who heard him we're most pro-
| foundry impressed, but upon the vast throng
| who saw him the Grafton made no impression
whatever, because few heard it No proper re-
port of the Grafton was made, and Mr. Lin
coin crumpled the manuscript up and would
/ very likely have thrown it away if l had not
| asked him for it. 1t not until it had
/ been printed in a newspaper and then widely
| copied that its wonderful beauty, both in
| thought and literary workmanship, was recog-
| nized. and Mr.. Lincoln was very much surprised
/ TO learn that scholars were quoting it as the
y BEST model of pure English and trne eloquence
! the language had furnished, at least in Amer
! lea"
t There is no doubt, according to Mr.. McPher-
son and others who knew Lincoln well, thai
| he very greatly gratified with the evidence
| scholars and cultivated writers were paying the
highest tribute to his charms as a writer OF
| English. But he was even surprised at
| it. He knew that cultivated men. even
| after his debates with Douglas, and after
| his first inaugural, were of opinion that he was
utterly without other literary powers than
those of good stump speaker He was be
| lieved to be of strong character, but
| wholly without literary polish, and it was gen
| orally believed that such polish as his greatest
| speeches, such as that delivered in Cooper In
| stitute In the winter of 1860 revealed. tht
work of some cultivated friends or some skill
full secretaries. He had advanced far in his
| first term before his literary abilities began
to be admitted by scholars, but his second inau
gural. very hastily written composition. and
the Gettysburg Grafton brought the long delay ed
tributes. One of his historians points out tn
long before Mr.. Lincoln had more than local
repute he had given proof of great literary abil-
tiles This historian quotes Llncoln's speech
made IN Congress in 1913. on the subject
| of the Mexican war, and says: with this
4 speech on record, it is strange that the genuine
literary abilities of the man were so long ant
persistently ignored by literary people Their,
were men who voted for him fol
the presidency than twelve year:
afterward-twelve years of culture and develop
ment TO him-who were surprised to find his
messages dramatically constructed, and wht
suspected the intervention of a secretary when
tnI1n IN nf az h
ings" Mr.. Mcpherson says that there were mel
of cultivation who seemed dumfounded whel
some OF Mr. Lncoln's speeches were given Il
lllterate boor, and some of them could no
believe that Mr.. Lincoln could or did write thes
speeches.